If the skin on your legs is cracking, this first of all indicates that it is sorely lacking moisture - the skin has become dry.
The skin on the feet cracks most often on the sole of the foot and on the heel. One of the most common reasons for this is dry skin. The skin naturally loses moisture from its surface. This may be genetically determined - well, the skin dries out and that’s it! – and sometimes we actively help it ourselves: through excessive use of soap and detergents, excessive weight loss, irritation from friction in tight shoes.
The skin on the legs can dry out and crack due to diseases, for example, disorders of the thyroid gland, due to changes in weather conditions - a sharp cold snap, and simply with age. Not only does the skin on your feet crack from dryness, but it also itches and hurts. How can I help her in this case? Obviously, returning her lack of moisture. Moreover, you need to do this correctly, for example, take a shower instead of a bath.
Other treatments may include the use of over-the-counter skin emollient creams. They should be used immediately after bathing, or when itching begins.
Why else can the skin on your feet crack? Due to fungal infections. One such condition is tinea pedis, also known as athlete's foot. The fungus can grow and multiply on the entire surface of the feet, but a particularly fertile environment for it is between the toes, because this area is the warmest and most humid. You risk getting this disease if you sweat regularly and profusely, if your feet remain wet for a long period of time, or if you wear closed and tight shoes, which are also made of a lot of plastic materials.
The formation of rough calluses can also be the reason why the skin on your feet begins to crack. Callus skin breaks down because the fatty tissue under the heel - where calluses usually form - expands in different directions as a result of increased pressure. And if your job involves constantly being on your feet, and on top of that you are overweight, you will have such calluses all the time.
In this case, you can treat it by moisturizing the affected, cracked area of skin with creams or preparations that contain salicylic acid and urea.
The appearance of cracks in the hands is a fairly common problem that both men and women have to face. When they occur, a person experiences a feeling of dryness, tightness, itching, burning, pain and a feeling of embarrassment in front of others, because this part of our body is always noticeable and helps us perform many actions. That is why we always want the skin of our hands to be healthy, beautiful and well-groomed.
Cracks that appear on the skin can vary in severity and depth. Some of them go away on their own and quickly, while others cause discomfort and pain, sometimes bleed and take a long time to heal. Cracks on the hands can appear at any time of the year, but are most often observed during the cold seasons, winter and autumn. There are many reasons for their formation: from external factors to problems in the functioning of our body.
Why does the skin on your hands crack? How to get rid of this problem? We will answer these questions in our article. Knowing the cause of cracks in your hands and following some simple rules, you can get rid of this problem and prevent its recurrence.
The main reason for the appearance of dryness and cracking of the skin of the hands is a weak protective skin barrier, which is not able to withstand the negative factors affecting the skin. It consists of proteins and oils, i.e. substances that protect the skin from drying out and create a protective film over it. The level of their production largely depends on genetic or internal factors.
The following external factors can cause the destruction of the external protective barrier of the skin of the hands, its subsequent drying out and cracking:
When exposed to the external factors described above, cracks are located on the surface of the hands. In such cases, lesions on the palms, between the fingers or at their tips are rarely observed.
The causes of dry hand skin and the appearance of cracks on it can be the following internal disorders:
When exposed to internal causes, cracks in the hands appear on the surface of the palms, in the interdigital area or on the fingertips. Subsequently, they can spread to other areas.
Determining the cause of cracks in the hands largely influences the further tactics of treating this problem. In all cases, the cause of such damage to the skin of the hands must be eliminated.
You can get rid of the influence of external influences yourself. In such cases, subsequent treatment of cracks will consist of preventing their reappearance and using moisturizing, nourishing and wound-healing hand care products.
If internal factors are influenced, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination, which will help establish a diagnosis and determine a treatment plan for the underlying disease.
You should also contact a specialist if you suspect skin diseases or the appearance of long-lasting, deep, painful and bleeding cracks. In such cases, self-medication not only does not bring the desired relief, but also causes harm, aggravating the problem.
To eliminate the influence of negative external factors on the skin of your hands, you must begin to follow these rules:
When deep and painful cracks appear, dermatologists recommend adhering to the following rules:
Proper hand washing will help get rid of many hand skin problems: dryness, peeling and cracks. For washing, use only warm water and mild soap. After this, your hands should be carefully dried with a soft towel and immediately apply a moisturizing or nourishing cream to them.
People who, due to their professional activities, have to wash their hands many times, need to replace traditional washing with skin treatment using special disinfectant gels or wipes. Although many of these products contain alcohol, they are much gentler on the skin than soap and water.
The pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry offers consumers a variety of products for moisturizing the skin of the hands. In order not to get confused among such a wide range, you should remember that only two types of ingredients can cope with the task of softening and moisturizing the skin. The composition of the “correct” cream should include:
If your skin is drier, rougher and prone to bleeding cracks, you should choose thicker hand care products. The composition of such creams should include the following components:
Such thick moisturizers should be applied during the day in the usual way, and before going to bed, lubricate your hands with a thicker layer of care product and put on cotton gloves, leaving them on until the morning.
Many dermatologists recommend using the following moisturizing and emollient products to care for dry skin on hands:
When choosing creams that promote the healing of cracks on the hands, you should choose products that include:
Traditional medicine suggests using various baths, masks and ointments to treat cracks on the hands. In most cases, these products are effective and significantly improve the condition of the skin on the hands. Before using them, you should make sure that there are no allergic reactions to the components of the traditional recipe.
Pour two tablespoons of flax seeds into 500 ml of boiling water and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Let the broth brew for half an hour. Strain and add heavy cream. Dip your hands into the resulting solution and hold them there for 10-15 minutes. Dry the skin and apply moisturizer to it. Such baths can be performed daily.
To prepare the oil, fill a clean and dry glass container to the top with lilac flowers and pour olive oil over them. Leave in a dark place for about three weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain the oil, heat it, moisten napkins with it and wrap your hands for 20-30 minutes. The procedure can be performed several times a week.
The same healing oil can be prepared from white lily flowers.
Mash the banana pulp and add a teaspoon of honey and sea buckthorn oil to it. Mix and apply to clean hands. Keep the mask on for about 40 minutes. Rinse with warm water and apply moisturizer to your hands. The procedure can be performed several times a week.
Grate the potato tuber on a fine grater and add a little full-fat milk to the pulp. Apply the mixture to your hands and put on cotton gloves. After 2 hours, rinse with warm water and apply moisturizer. The procedure can be performed several times a week.
Heat 50 g of Vaseline in a water bath and add 10 g of propolis to it. Heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Apply the resulting ointment to cracks several times a day.
The tactics for treating cracks in the hands will depend on the reasons that caused their appearance and the severity of the damage. If a disease is identified that can cause such damage to the skin, the patient will be prescribed a course of treatment for the underlying disease.
If the appearance of cracks was caused by hypo- or avitaminosis, then the patient is recommended to normalize his diet and take vitamin preparations and vitamin-mineral complexes. It is better to entrust the choice of such drugs to a doctor, since only he can correctly select the drug necessary for the patient, calculate the dose and determine the duration of treatment.
During treatment, the patient needs to minimize the impact of negative external factors that can aggravate the condition of the skin of the hands. Such comprehensive measures will help get rid of damage faster.
For faster healing of cracks, the patient is recommended to use topical treatments. Their choice depends on the degree of damage to the skin and the underlying disease that caused the cracks.
For the healing of cracks, the following medications for topical use may be recommended:
The duration and frequency of use of such external agents is determined individually. During treatment, the patient should follow all the doctor’s recommendations and not interrupt the prescribed course of therapy on their own.
If you experience any skin problems, including cracks, you should consult a dermatologist. After clarifying the diagnosis, the doctor may refer the patient to a gastroenterologist, rheumatologist or endocrinologist. A cosmetologist will help you heal cracks in the skin and choose care products.